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White Cedar and Sugar Maple

Samia Ullah November 22, 2011 6th Hour

Are you ready? We are about to enter the vast world of plants. Its a land with colors ranging from violet to chartreuse. A dwelling of dozens of shapes and sizes, whether it is small and thorny or large and fluffy. The world of plants is enthralling, enlightening, and awe-inspiring. Before we can move on, it is essential to inform you on the basics of plants. In order to truly discern the beauty of them, you must know of angiosperms and gymnosperms. Although similar in many ways, they are also very different. Gymnosperms are plants that hold their spores in strobili, or cones, unlike angiosperms, who hold their seeds in fruit. Gymnosperms thrive in dry, cold areas. Angiosperms prevail in basically all other habitats. Angiosperms are animal-pollinated plants, making their flowers colorful and showy. Being wind-pollinated, gymnosperms are more inconspicuous. The characteristics of angiosperms and gymnosperms are vital for your understanding of plants. Our voyage begins in upstate New York. We are in a lowland site with mineralrich water flowing near us. Ahead lays a forty foot high tree with scaly foliage and a trunk which appears to be divided in two. We are in the presence of, you guessed it, the white cedar. This gymnosperm can be found in southern Canada, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and also northern England. It is heavily populated in the Appalachians. White cedar plants prefer areas with relative humidity. Precipitation ranges from 28 to 46 inches in the northern areas, increasing to 55 inches near the Appalachians. Half of the precipitation occurs in the warm seasons. Annual snow varies from 40 to 150 inches.

Climate necessary for white cedars is mostly cool. Temperature averages 50F and below near the northern areas, and no higher than 60F in the Appalachians. Extreme weather in the north is no longer than 80 days, in the south 200 days. How are these plants able to reproduce? This process begins when they create cones, usually starting at age six and extending to seventy-five, when the tree makes the best cones. As mentioned above, white cedars are wind-pollinated plants, and there seeds are usually blown to a distance of 200 feet. Germination takes place during the day when the temperature is about 84F usually in organic or mineral soils that are constantly moisturized. Limited light is necessary for the growth of a seedling and droughts are a major cause of its death. They usually prosper near burned sites. Because of its resistance to decay, white cedars are used in a great deal of appliances. Although the principle use of this tree is for fences and posts, it is also significant in many other things. Cabin logs, boats, tubs, tanks, and so much more are reliant to white cedars. They are also used in ornaments. The leaf oil from these plants can be found in many perfumes and even medicine. The next stop of our trip is to the sugar maple, an angiosperm. Like white cedars, these plants are found in southern Canada. They can also be seen in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, and the southern tip of Tennessee. This tree also inhabits Kansas and Georgia. Sugar maples live in areas with moist cool climates. In the northern areas the temperature is from 0 to 50F. The south holds temperatures reaching 10 to 80F. The

heat may also extend to 100. Precipitation is 80 inches in the south, 15 inches in the west, and 40 inches in the east. Snow falls usually 100 inches yearly. The reproduction of sugar maples is dissimilar to that of white cedars. Instead of cones, they produce flowers. The flowering usually occurs in late March to mid-May, when the plant is 22 years old. The entire crown fills with beautiful yellow pedals, which appear to be flawless, but can only produce one functional sex. Sugar maples were once thought to be bee-pollinated, but it has recently come to attention that they pollinate without the help of insects. The fruits are usually one-seeded, but occasionally exceed to two. The temperature must be slightly above freezing for the germination of a sugar maple to transpire. Every morning you wake up to a plate full of pancakes drenched in maple syrup, you have sugar maples to thank. The sap from this tree is a major component of the sugary, sweet treat. The wood of this tree is the densest and hardest of all maples, and is used for furniture and flooring. The floors of bowling alleys and basketball courts are manufactured from sugar maples as well. This is the end of our expedition into plant terrains. We have explored the lifestyles of two very different plants, whose paths somehow correlate. The next time you are walking through a fence or eating waffles with maple syrup, you will have a better insight on how it came about.

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